I started receiving SS benefits at age 62 in 2011 in the amount of 1,379. At age 66 (FRA) in February of 2016, I suspended my benefits for 22months. I started my benefits again in December 2017. I received a letter in June 2017 saying my 8% increase (1500 x 1.08) would increase to 1,625. 1,500 was the amount I was receiving at the time I suspected my payment. The 8% increase was for the 12 months I suspended in 2016. I never received a notice in 2018 for the 10 months I suspended in 2017 which would be a little short of 7%. I feel I’m entitled to the 10 months of DRC in 2017 which I never received. I’ve called numerous times, but never received an answer. How do I resolve this issue? I feel I do deserve an answer. I’ve heard nothing from S.S. not even an explanation of how this was calculated.

Hi. You definitely should receive a benefit increase of 2/3rds of 1% for each month that you voluntarily suspended your benefits. Those types of adjustments are normally automated, so any adjustment to which you were entitled should have been added to your benefit rate automatically.

If Social Security hasn't given you credit for all of your delayed retirement credits (DRC) then about the only thing you do is explain the issue to them and try to get them to correct the problem. A lack of action on their part to give you credit for the rest of your DRCs isn't a formal determination that can be appealed. You could try submitting a request for a manual recomputation of your benefit rate, which you could do by explaining the problem in detail on a form SSA-795 (https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-795.pdf). If that doesn't work, then you may want to try contacting the offices of either your U.S. congressional representative or one of your U.S. senators. Often an inquiry from a congressperson or senator can help resolve problems with Social Security.

Best, Jerry